1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to composting and, more particularly, to a composting system that creates a symbiotic environment in which worms and other micro-organisms cooperate to produce a harvestable fertilizer from certain organic waste items.
A preferred type of worm is generally used in all vermicomposting devices and systems. These worms are commonly referred to as “red wigglers” or, alternately, as “red worms” and in the vermiculture art on occasion, simply as “earthworms”. The preferred worm for vermicomposting is “Eistenia Fetida-Lumbricus Rebellus” and herein, when any of the above terms or “worm” or “worms” are used, reference is being made to this particular preferred species of worm. The usefulness of Eistenia Fetida-Lumbricus Rebellus in the vermiculture art is generally well known. The art of using worms for composting is referred to as “vermicomposting” or as “vermiculture”.
Helping to ensure that vermicomposting worms stay alive (i.e., survive) has been a long-standing need that has not been adequately met with prior art devices and systems. This is due to many factors, one of which being that water must periodically be added to the organic material which is included with all vermicomposting devices. Subjecting the worms to prolonged immersion in the water that is added creates an environment in which the worms will drown.
Consequently, prior art devices have, of necessity, traditionally included a plurality of trays that are stacked one on top of the other and which each contain different elements or stages of the prior art systems. The trays are periodically removed and their positioning is altered. This must be done to prevent the worms from drowning or to prevent the worms from otherwise being exposed to an environment that is hostile to them.
If a user forgets to rotate the trays the worms will drown. This is because the water that is added will accumulate where the worms are located and inundate their habitat. There is no mechanism in any known prior art vermicomposting device that allows for the water to pass through the worm habitat and which will automatically channel the water to a location that is away from the worms, thereby ensuring that the worm habitat cannot flood.
Also, with all vermicomposting systems the user is instructed to only add a predetermined quantity of water to the system. Many users are unable to determine the proper quantity of water or they believe that more is better and so there is a tendency to over-water any vermicomposting system. Unlike over-watering a lawn where harm is unlikely to occur, with prior art types of vermicomposting systems over-watering is deadly to the worms because it will cause the water level to rise and enter into the worm's habitat and quickly drown the worms.
In order to optimize their chances of survival, the worms must be provided with an adequate food source, a moist pH-balanced environment conducive to the worm's mucoidal integument, an environment that is not adversely affected by a build up of their own excretions (commonly called “worm castings”), and their environment must be maintained within an acceptable range of temperature and relative humidity.
If the user of such a system fails to rotate the trays when required, worm mortality rates can skyrocket due to an environment that is becoming increasingly toxic for any of the above reasons. As mentioned earlier, this can happen quickly if a rapidly rising water level results in their drowning and it can happen more slowly if their environment should become too dry, too hot, too cold, etc.
In particular, it is desirable to maintain a relatively high amount of moisture (humidity) in a vermicomposting device. Also, other microorganisms are involved in any vermicomposting system and the worms and microorganisms work together in a symbiotic relationship to decompose the organic material so that an end-product is provided that is suitable for use as an organic fertilizer. If the worms or other essential microorganisms experience a high mortality rate the efficacy of the system (or device) can plummet or fail utterly.
It is discouraging for users to realize that their failure to accomplish a timely tray rotation (or to timely and properly accomplish some other attendant duty such as adding too much water or forgetting to add any water for several days) has caused all (or most) of the worms to die. Not only are they likely to feel great personal responsibility and remorse for these deaths, their vermicomposting device is rendered inoperative as a result of the death of the worms. The device becomes filled with decomposing worms and can emit a most foul odor.
These deficits become powerful deterrents which discourage the continued use of the prior art devices because the users feel that they are all but certain to eventually cause and again experience additional high worm mortality rates and then have to deal with the decomposing worms and additional remorse. Accordingly, there is a significant and long-standing need to provide a vermicomposting system that lessens the likelihood of a high worm mortality rate occurring.
To restore the vermicomposting system to operation the worms must be replaced, the environment adjusted to include a proper amount of moisture, the accumulated toxins and decomposing worms removed, and then given a sufficient amount of time for the environment to return to a state of equilibrium before optimum fertilizer productivity can, once again, resume. Accordingly, the user is deprived of organic fertilizer when needed.
Therefore, a significant deficit of all known prior art types of vermicomposting devices is that they all experience, from time to time, high worm and/or microorganism mortality rates. The user is generally unaware of the death of microorganisms as a result of his actions and does not typically experience remorse. The prior art devices also require periodic rotation of trays to maintain a proper environment and are at great risk of over-watering or of neglect. As such, they cannot be left unattended for more than a couple of days or worm mortality will occur. As such, they are relatively high-maintenance devices and this aspect of their use also deters many potential users. Because people commonly go on trips and vacations for longer periods of time than the prior art devices can tolerate, it is highly probable that eventually many users will fail to perform the necessary actions and as a result experience high worm mortality rates and the resultant problems, as described hereinbefore.
Furthermore, all known prior art vermicomposting devices are only intended for use and storage outside of a residence or living area that is inhabited by humans. This is because all prior art devices will, from time to time, emit noxious or unpleasant odors that generally preclude any interior usage, as was mentioned before when worms die and decompose. This, in turn, subjects all of the known prior art devices to the full range of environmental swings that occur in nature. Eventually, prolonged swings in weather, such as in the temperature or humidity are likely to be overlooked or otherwise uncompensated for by the user. This can also cause the worms of prior art vermicomposting systems to experience a high mortality rate.
The most common organic material that is added to a vermicomposting system includes any of the many varieties of kitchen vegetable waste (i.e., raw vegetables, etc.), pulverized eggshells, herbal tea remnants, and other organic waste materials that do not adversely affect the vermicomposting environment, such as the pH level. These are routinely added and provide the organic matter at the top of the food chain that is eventually broken down by the microorganisms and the worms to yield the desired fertilizer, which is contained in the worm castings.
All types of vermicomposting devices are similar in that organic matter which it is desirable to decompose is periodically added to the device and an end-product of organic fertilizer is produced and periodically removed. Water is periodically added to the device in a prescribed manner and the device is timely attended to, as instructed. The efficacy and desirability of such organic fertilizers is well known and is therefore not elaborated upon herein.
The fertilizer produced by vermicomposting devices and systems may be used to create either a dry or a wet fertilizer. As previously mentioned, the worms produce an excretion that is commonly referred to as “worm castings”. The worm castings can be harvested and dried for later use as a fertilizer. The use of dry worm castings is less effective if directly applied as a fertilizer, so the worm castings are typically dissolved in water and the resultant soluble mix is then applied as a fertilizer.
Alternately, the worm castings can be harvested wet by the addition of a sufficient quantity of water to dissolve the worm castings in the water. The soluble mix is obtained and can be applied directly to growing vegetation or it may be diluted by adding additional water. Either way, the user of a prior art type of device must use their hands or some type of a tool to access the worm castings for harvest. As such, it is a generally messy procedure that few people enjoy doing. The difficulty and mess of harvesting fertilizer from prior art devices serves as a further deterrent to their use.
Also, it is highly desirable that pests such as flies be kept out of the vermicomposting system. It is common for flies to obtain access to prior art systems and devices. The presence of flies creates an environment that may introduce disease or contaminants to the system. Also, the user generally feels as if a fly-infested prior art type of device is somehow unhealthy or unsafe to use. Additionally, the attraction to flies and their presence in prior art devices further precludes their placement inside of a residence.
With all prior art systems, the user is not supplied at the time of purchase with all of the materials needed to operate the system. The user must obtain worms from an alternate source at additional expense beyond that of the systems purchase. This is a further deterrent to the use of prior art systems. Additionally, prior art systems supply only newspapers at the time of purchase as bedding material for the worms. The newspapers lack nutrients and are not conducive for promoting worm growth. Accordingly, worm mortality can occur as a result.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a vermicomposting apparatus and system that helps to ameliorate the above-mentioned problems and difficulties as well as ameliorate those additional problems and difficulties as may be recited in the “OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION” or discussed elsewhere in the specification or which may otherwise exist or occur and that are not specifically mentioned herein.
As various embodiments of the instant invention help provide a more elegant solution to the various problems and difficulties as mentioned herein, or which may otherwise exist or occur and are not specifically mentioned herein, and by a showing that a similar benefit is not available by mere reliance upon the teachings of relevant prior art, the instant invention attests to its novelty. Therefore, by helping to provide a more elegant solution to various needs, some of which may be long-standing in nature, the instant invention further attests that the elements thereof, in combination as claimed, cannot be obvious in light of the teachings of the prior art.
Clearly, such an apparatus, system, and method would be useful and especially desirable.
2. Description of Prior Art
Vermicomposting devices are, in general, known. For example, the following products and/or patents describe various types of these devices, some of which may have relevance as well as others which may not have particular relevance to the invention. These patents are cited not as an admission of their having any particular relevance to the invention but rather to present a broad and diversified understanding regarding the current state of the art appertaining to either the field of the invention or possibly to other related or distal fields of invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,687 to Windle, that issued on May 1, 2001;
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0144658 to Holcombe, that published on Oct. 10, 2002;
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0059931 to Gitt, that published on Mar. 27, 2003;
and including the following products found on the web:
Can-O-Worms Household Composting System made by Reln;
Tumbleweed Worm Farm Compost Bin made by Tumbleweed;
Tumbleweed Pet Poo Converter made by Tumbleweed;
The Worm Factory Composting System made by The Worm Company; and
The Worm Wigwam made by Sustainable Agricultural Technologies, Inc.
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices may, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.